


Bare

by Lyledebeast



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Arguing, Bisexual Armitage Hux, Domesticity, Established Relationship, F/M, Secrets, Smut, Talk of adoption, Vaginal Sex, unprotected sex in a monogamous relationship, vasectomy mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:21:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22010980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyledebeast/pseuds/Lyledebeast
Summary: Rose discovers something surprising about Armitage and isn't sure how to cope.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico
Comments: 6
Kudos: 127





	Bare

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by GerdavR's incredible Hux/Rose fics, Photophobia and The Cruellest Thing. They first introduced me to the idea of Hux having had a vasectomy, and that has been a solid part of my headcanon for this character ever since. I had to explore it in more detail on my own, but all credit and much appreciation goes to this amazing writer.
> 
> This is a little sequel to my long-ish work Thankless. It picks up with Hux and Rose several months after they become a couple.

It was a long and awkward ride home in the taxi after their appointment.

“You might have told me,” Rose pointed out, struggling to keep the edge out of her voice. When

Armitage only shrugged in response, her anger threatened to boil over.

Wasn’t he even going to dignify that with a response? 

When he spoke, his voice was soft, vulnerable. “I didn’t think it was important.”

There was a lot she could say in response to that, but if he didn’t want to have it out behind a complete stranger, she supposed she could understand that.

When they got home, though, things would be different.

It had started when they went in to get the results from their physical exams. Which had been Armitage’s idea in the first place. 

“Not because I don’t trust you,” he’d said. “It’s just . . . we were tested regularly in the Order, and sometimes things come up in these tests that we wouldn’t know about otherwise.”

It was more than a little ironic that his had proven to be the surprising one.

The nurse had told Rose that she was fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Armitage’s results, though, had bewildered and worried her. 

“A low sperm count can be a sign of all kinds of health issues. We can treat those, but no sperm count?” Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she looked at Hux. “Either you’ve had a vasectomy, and you didn’t say anything about it, or you really have a serious problem.”

A simple “oh” was his only response. Rose watched him out of the corner of her eye, growing confused herself.

“A what?”

The nurse, mistakenly thinking Rose was asking her, explained. “It’s a procedure that men have to stop the transmission of sperm into the semen. The male equivalent of having your tubes tied.”

Rose kept watching Hux, who couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Armitage?”

“No need to worry,” he murmured, addressing the nurse. “I had . . . what you said.”

“But . . . why?” Rose cried. “Why would you do that?”

Finally, Armitage looked at her, incredulous. “Because I didn’t want to father children.” Like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like he hadn’t made other choices that were easily as effective as a vasectomy, but hardly as invasive or lasting.

Rose turned stiffly to the nurse. “Thank you for letting us know. I guess there’s nothing else to discuss?”

The nurse seemed glad to be rid of them. Rose knew she was being paranoid, but she couldn’t help wondering what those who recognized her had made of it. It was no secret that she and Hux had been living together for three months, but how many would have assumed that they were together in the other sense too?

She supposed anyone who had bothered to wonder would have their suspicions confirmed now. But was that really what was bothering her?

“You’re the one who wanted the tests done!” she snapped as the front door closed behind them, finally letting her voice rise. “So, you knew I would find out! Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Armitage finally had the decency to look embarrassed. “I . . . I didn’t know they would check for that. I thought they would just . . . look for any irregularities.”

“Well, that is certainly an irregularity!” she snapped, not caring about her volume. “All those barriers we bought, all my worries that one would break. And it was for nothing!”

“Not for nothing,” Armitage replied, his voice small.

“Well, I wasn’t going to get pregnant was I?”

“No,” he admitted. “But, well, neither was I. Neither was Dopheld, and we used them.”

Rose stared at him for a moment, feeling her anger fizzle. That was sensitive ground. But maybe he had mentioned it to make her shut up, she thought darkly.

“Because?”

He only shrugged in response. “Sex is messy.”

Rose cocked an eyebrow at that. There was no arguing with it, but she wasn’t quite ready to let the topic go.

“That’s not the point. That doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me you . . . that you can’t father children.”

She searched Armitage’s face as she waited for him to answer, looking for signs of guilt. Or aggravation. But he only looked tired.

“Why does it matter?” he asked.

Rose scowled. It was a simple question. Why was it so hard for him to answer?

“Because . . . we’re together, Armitage. We don’t just live together, we’re . . . partners. You . . . shouldn’t leave me in the dark about something like this.”

He considered that, then looked away.

“I didn’t think it would matter to you. If I had known you were worried about . . . getting pregnant, I would have told you. I’m sorry that not knowing made you anxious but . . . it truly didn’t occur to me that this would be an issue.”

He’d never slept with a woman before, Rose remembered. Not until her. She supposed she could understand why pregnancy had slipped his mind. But wasn’t that what made his vasectomy so incomprehensible?

She wanted to ask again, but what if getting the same answer set her off again.

“Well, at least I don’t have to be anxious about it now. I guess I should start dinner, then.”

Armitage only nodded. Luckily, he could read her well enough now that he turned in the direction of the office rather than following her to the kitchen. She didn’t even feel hungry, but she needed to think. And to be away from Armitage while she did it.

* * *

They had barely spoken to each other over dinner. Rose had tried to lighten the mood, but to no avail. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that, maybe, she had been too hard on him. After all, they hadn’t been together for very long. Maybe it was too soon for him to bring up the . . . alterations he had made to himself.

It was hard to see how he might have dropped that casually into conversation. And she hadn’t mentioned wanting kids either.

That didn’t explain why he was so cagy, though. They had disagreed before, but usually they could at least talk about it once they had calmed down. But Armitage had left her alone as soon as they had washed the dishes, retreating to the safety of his office. She had sighed, but let him go. If he needed the time alone too, how was she to begrudge him?

When he tried to make for the couch in his pajamas that night, though, enough was enough.

“Armitage, come to bed, please. This is ridiculous. You’re not in trouble.”

He looked back at her, hesitating, but then he gathered up his pillow and blanket and meekly made his way to the bedroom.

As he settled down next to her, the words tumbled from her mouth, almost without thought.

“Look, I . . . I’m sorry if I overreacted. I just . . . I know I should have said something before. I shouldn’t have expected you to assume.”

As Armitage watched her struggle, she thought she saw the lines in his face relax ever so slightly.

“I just . . . I didn’t want to rush you or . . . make things awkward, but . . . I’ve always wanted to have kids. Eventually!” she exclaimed, watching his face for any signs of discomfort. When she saw none, she went on.

“I mean, now wouldn’t be an ideal time. But I’ve always thought I’d be a mom someday, and I’ve looked forward to it. I can remember talking to Paige about it when we were kids ourselves.”

“Oh,” he replied, his face unreadable even before he looked away. “I’m sorry, I . . . didn’t know.”

“I know you didn’t, and I shouldn’t have expected you to. So, I’m sorry, Armitage. Do you forgive me?”

His eyebrows were knit when he looked at her again, baffled.

“Of course I do, I just” . . . he trailed off, dropping his gaze again.

Rose waited for him to continue.

“You wouldn’t want children with me.”

He said it with such certainty that her heart sank. She reached for his hand.

“I love you, Armitage. I want to be with you. If you don’t want children, I can understand that. But . . . I wouldn’t be with someone I’d never have kids with. I just don’t see a point to that.”

An awkward silence followed, but at least he didn’t pull away. Rose went on, encouraged.

“Can I ask you something?”

He glanced at her just long enough to nod.

“How old were you when you . . . you know.”

After a moment’s confusion, he answered. “I was 25.”

Rose tightened her grip in his hand involuntarily. Ten years? It was longer than she’d expected.

“You’ve known since then that you never, ever wanted kids?”

He scoffed softly. “I’ve known that since I was much younger than 25. But, I had just been promoted to lieutenant then, and I finally had enough of a pay rise to afford it.”

Rose stroked her thumb over his knuckles, hoping to comfort him, but unsure whether he needed it. After all, there were some people who had just never considered parenthood before.

“What made you so sure?” she ventured.

Then Armitage looked away from her. For a moment, she even thought he would pull his hand back. He looked so stricken, so small.

“My father,” he forced out bitterly.

And Rose knew not to ask anymore. Armitage almost never talked about his father, but his face when he did told her all she needed to know. She released his hand and wrapped her arm around his waist. She wanted to tell him that it was okay, that she wouldn’t as him any more questions, but the words wouldn’t come.

Fortunately, once a few moments had passed, Armitage didn’t need them. He relaxed against Rose, finally dipping his head to press a kiss to the top of hers.

“Aren’t you tired, Rose? I know I am. We can discuss this more in the morning, if you like.”

Rose looked at him with a sad smile. “Morning sounds good.”

She soon realized that what he’d said was true; it wasn’t just an excuse to end the conversation. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. She watched him, still mulling over the conversation they’d had.

“For what it’s worth,” she murmured as she stretched out next to him, “I still think you would have made a great father.”

She didn’t find sleep as quickly as Armitage did. As she lay next to him, watching his chest rise and fall in the moonlight, curiosity consumed her. In the past months, she had explored Armitage’s body extensively. He was not her first lover, but he was more willing to indulge her than any other man she’d slept with. Perhaps being touch-starved for long had left him wanting to make up for lost time, but he had delighted in her desire to learn more about his body.

Maybe he wouldn’t mind being unconscious for just one lesson. 

She wanted to know if there was something she had missed, some clue etched into his skin that should have made this revelation less unexpected. When she lay her hand lightly on his belly there was no change; he still slept soundly. Moving her hand under the covers to touch the same spot made his head turn ever so slightly towards her. She froze, watching his face, but his eyes remained shut. Rose sighed with relief.

  
Then she slipped her hand down the front of his pajama pants. 

Just after their first time, Armitage had started trimming the hair between his legs. Rose had thought it too precious for her taste, but he said it made him self-conscious to leave it so unkempt, so she had kept the criticism to herself. Since then, she had come to appreciate it. And he appreciated her appreciation. She could remember nuzzling his balls the first time after; how soft they had felt. Then she’d licked and suckled them until he begged, his cock leaking against his belly. And now his fastidiousness was making her job easier. The memory was enough to make her wet, but she had other plans now. This was about inquiry. Once her curiosity had been satisfied, she would go back to sleep.

He shifted in his sleep and whined softly when she cupped his sack. She went rigid again, but when he didn’t move more she continued her exploration, circling one teste with her thumb and then moving to the other. Nothing. She lightly stroked down from the base of his cock until her fingers brushed against the mattress. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, but his thighs seemed to be further apart than when she started.

Slowly, she slipped two fingers underneath his sack again. This would be the most difficult part, for he was very sensitive there. If she went too far . . .

Armitage made a soft sound of pleasure and definitely spread his legs further. She would have to work fast. Curving her fingers in to avoid touching his perineum again, she stroked the soft skin carefully, but still found no incision. Then she applied a little more pressure.

“Rose,” he moaned. And then a moment later, “What are you doing?”

Damn, busted. Her heart was pounding. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” he murmured. “What, your hand got cold, so you put it in the warmest place you could find?”

His voice was sleepy, but she could hear a trace of amusement in it.

She gave him a little squeeze and he moaned again, louder. “Are you complaining?”

“I . . . ah . . . n-no. I’m just . . . confused.”

Rose had to give him that. “I couldn’t sleep. And I was curious about . . . about your surgery and wondering if there was, you know. Something that I missed. Like . . . an incision maybe.”

Armitage was silent for a moment. “And you thought you could find it without waking me up?”

Now she just felt stupid. “Well, would you prefer me to have woken you up? ‘Hey, Armitage. Let me feel your balls.’”

He chuckled at that. “That would depend on how it ended.”

She squeezed him again, and this time he arched off the bed. “I didn’t find an incision, though. Do you remember where it was?”

She could hear him panting as he answered. “I . . . don’t. It was so long ago. I’m not sure you could find it if . . . oh, please Rose. I’m so hard.”

Tension coiled low in her belly. She reached for his waistband and pulled it up, his hips rising with it so she could pull them down. Once his pants were off, she stroked one fingertip up the underside of his erection. It was enough to make him moan and his hips buck again. 

At first, she only meant to give him a quick handjob, an apology for having woken him in the first place. But with each twitch of his cock and each sound he made, she was growing more aroused. Her nipples were stiff peaks against the fabric of her shirt and her cunt was soaked. When she pressed her thighs together, she had to bite back a moan herself.

This was ridiculous. 

She took her hand off of Armitage’s cock, and before he could protest she reached for his hand and slipped it inside her shorts. He lost no time in cupping her, moving his fingers over her lips. Her hips jerked and she swore when the heel of his hand pressed against her clit.

“Fuck me,” she whispered.

Armitage stilled his hand. “What?”

“You heard me,” she replied, more certain. She reached down to pull off her shorts, hands shaking with excitement.

Armitage was still unsure, even as she straddled him. “I don’t know, Rose, maybe we should . . . the mess . . . ” His words trailed off with a groan when she sat down, pressing his cock between his hip and her wet slit.

“What’s a little mess?” she asked him as she circled her hips. Armitage said nothing, but gripped her thigh so hard she thought it might bruise.

Then, before she knew what was happening, he flipped them over, bracing himself on his palms.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked, positioning himself between her legs already.

To answer, Rose reached between them to thumb at his slick head, relishing the way it made his cock throb. She wondered how long he could last like this, with nothing separating them.

Armitage’s whole body shuddered when he entered her and a half moan, half sob tore itself from his throat when his hips came to rest against hers.

“Feel good?” she asked, smug. Armitage opened his mouth, but nothing came forth but a low groan when he pulled back and thrust in again, harder.

She knew it would feel better for him, having every part of his cock enveloped in wet heat with no barrier separating them. That it felt better for her was a surprise. Part of it the lack of fear about a barrier breaking, which was definitely new for her, but that wasn’t all. When she squeezed around his cock and made it throb, she felt him leak inside her. He slammed in again even harder and a wave of arousal crashed through her. She reached between her legs, but he was pressed too close for her to find a good angle.

“Armitage,” she growled. “Let me turn over.”

For a moment, she thought he’d ignored her. Or that he didn’t hear because he was close. Then he paused.

“What?” he panted.

“Let me get on my knees. Fuck me from behind.”

He eased back and the both hissed when he withdrew. Rose got a glimpse of the stiff cock standing between his thighs as she turned over. It was soaked and glistening, flushed a deep pink. Her cunt throbbed as she scrambled to her knees, and she sighed with relief when he entered her again.

The new angle felt even deeper and his first thrust made her gasp for air. She reached to cup her mound, sliding two fingers over her slit. The first touch to her clit made her sob and pleasure surged through her after only a few passes. Armitage cried out, trembling as she squeezed around him. A few stuttering thrusts more and she felt him pulse inside her, fluid spurting deep.

So, that’s what he feels like, she thought as she stretched boneless onto her front. She felt Armitage sink onto her back for a moment, but before his weight could become uncomfortable, he rolled over onto the mattress. The empty ache after sex was something Rose was used to, but the wetness leaking out of her and seeping into she sheets between her legs was not. Messy indeed. But worth it, she decided.

She turned to Armitage, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“You seemed to tolerate that well enough.”

He chuckled, the intake of his breath stirring her bangs. “I’m sorry I didn’t last. Perhaps with practice. A lot of practice.”

Rose smiled and stroked his chest. “It will take some getting used to, but I’d say it’s definitely a perk. All those barriers we bought, though.

She was grinning when she said it, but of course Armitage couldn’t see that.

“I’m sorry.” He sounded so contrite that she raised her head, leaning in to kiss his sharp cheekbone.

“Don’t be. Do you know how fast they’ll disappear when I take them to the ladies room at work? This is the opposite of a problem.”

She relaxed against him and they spoke no more. Eventually, Armitage rolled onto his side and Rose nestled against his back, her hand drifting to its usual spot just beneath his sternum. When he spoke, it almost startled her. She had thought him asleep, and was more than halfway there herself.

“You know, adoption is something to think about. All those war orphans . . . needing homes.”

She could hardly believe her ears. “What?”

“You should have children if you want them, Rose. Just consider it.”

Words escaped her, none seemed right to describe the warmth welling up in her chest. She pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. Think about it she certainly would.


End file.
